


The Sixth Blight- Prologue- The Elven Vendor

by BelleWrites (sunleyemrys)



Series: The Sixth Blight RP [2]
Category: Dragon Age
Genre: AU, OC, Role-Playing Game
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-10
Updated: 2018-08-10
Packaged: 2019-06-25 10:23:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,149
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15638808
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sunleyemrys/pseuds/BelleWrites
Summary: Big ass project to turn the collaborative role play writing I've been doing with a group of friends into a cohesive story. Some things will be edited from the original posts.. but this is largely just cleaning it up and putting everything in order. Each major plot point will be its own post with chapters. Hopefully the story will make sense.





	1. Chapter 1

The wind whipped Gisele's headscarf across her face as she gazed up towards the Hossberg gates. Being an apostate, she had always avoided traveling here; too many people and too many templars. Her staff was disassembled, wrapped up in cloth, and slung across her back to look like tent poles. She'd be doing no magic while in the city.

Her first stop was to the chantry to offer her prayers to the Maker. Some of the villages out in the Hinterlands had makeshift chapels filled with beautiful art made from whatever materials the villagers could find. Their efforts were astounding but nothing compared to the chantry in Hossberg. The sunlight reflecting off the white facade was almost blinding, paired with the gold filigree and colored light of stained glass. Above the main doorway was painted depiction of Andraste lit up with flames, the scene of her death. Gisele had to stop and pray right there, thanking the Maker for its beautiful visage.

She rose and gingerly approached the building when two well dressed foreigners burst through the doors talking loudly. Try though she might to keep out negative thoughts at a moment like this, this was a little too much. “I thought the religious crafts here were supposed to be worth something,” Said one man wearing blue.

“Clearly this is a backward wasteland.” said the man in red, scoffing. Gisele dropped her wrapped staff just as the second man passed by, causing him to trip and slam into the man dressed in blue. She quickly grabbed her staff and entered the chantry before she could see the fallout of her actions.

Gisele was surprised by the number of worshippers inside. There were no services going on, but many people were sitting in groups amongst the pews. Some looked distraught, others simply tired, but none were well off. She approached a middle-aged woman who seemed happier and more comfortable than the rest. “Excuse me, has something happened?” Gisele gestured to the other people in the building.

“Oh, its horrible, just horrible!” The woman started shaking at the remembrance. “Several villages have been run over with darkspawn!” Gisele wasn’t sure if she was Anders, she seemed to fear the darkspawn more than most from the region.

“Darkspawn are common here, yes?” Gisele said.

The woman replied, “No! Totally destroyed! There were too many of them to fight off! The only survivors. Here!” Then the older woman lowered her voice to an intense whisper, “They say there will be a blight! I can’t..!”

She turned away almost in tears. “I’m so sorry,” She kneeled and let the woman cry on her shoulder. When the woman had quieted she handed Gisele a small packet with bread in thanks and smiled at her with wet eyes. Gisele nodded her head in thanks and left the church, she did not want to think about what the woman had said until she was alone.

As the midday sun burned overhead Gisele approached the town square. She had heard that the elf promising good yields in blighted soil would be set up among the other vendors. She did wonder at hearing of him, an apostate, without him getting caught, especially an elf. Knife-ears weren’t so welcome in the Anderfels, most being escaped or freed slaves from Tevinter. The red sandstone of the square burned below her feet as she approached the center of the square toward the magical wares; potions, enchantments, and the like. Just as in the chantry, there were groups of people huddled in pockets of the square with packs and other belongings. “Perhaps the darkspawn really are surfacing...” she thought of her family for the first time in many days.

Gisele spied a short, raven haired potion vendor wearing colorful robes who did not appear particularly busy and approached him. “Excuse me, sir,” she said, trying to turn his attention. He looked at her shabby clothing and his shoulders dropped almost imperceptibly.

“Yes, how can I help you?” he asked, trying to sound eager.

“I’m looking for an elf, perhaps you’ve seen him? He is offering help for farmers,” she said, trying to not be too direct.

“Oh,” he said with his affect completely dropping, “he’s over there.” The man gestured to a man sitting on the floor, about twenty paces away in dirty robes. He looked like he may have also been in a fight.

“Thank you, sir.” Gisele nodded and approached the man. He didn’t even look very much like an elf. He was not quite so frail looking, and his ears were somewhat covered by headwrap.

Gisele realized that the beggar was asking for alms and felt her pockets. Stopping in front of him she put out her arm to let him steady himself as she continued to look for something to give. She couldn't find any coins or bits of food, but she did see a plump purple beetle land on the elf's shoulder with the breeze. Plucking it off she placed it in his hand and curled his fingers around it.

"Sustenance," Gisele offered. The old elf did not appear very appreciative. In disgust he recoiled quickly as he felt the beetle twitch and moved to shake it off. Gisele snatched the beetle back before it could fly away and quickly plopped it in her mouth with a crunch. Clearly this man hadn't really known want. The city fed him well enough most likely. "I don't have anything else to offer. Will you help me, though? Are you the one who is offering good growth to farmers? Do you have something to work against the Blight?"

"The Blight?" He was going to brush the woman off but then remembered what he had been paid to do and why he'd been beaten up the other night. "What is your name? Who taught you to use magic?" The last question he asked in the tiniest whisper as he pulled the woman close by her headscarf. He didn't want any trouble from Templars or to get beaten up again by desperate farmers.

Gisele paused and pulled away from the old elf slightly. "Why do you want to know? Do you have useful magic or no?" She tried to keep her voice as quiet as the elf’s, but she was starting to get frustrated. He was not who she had expected, and their interaction already grated on her nerves. Gisele pulled his hand off her clothing and smoothed out the scarf, improving the cover for her face.

What was this woman doing raising her voice when they were talking about magic in the city square?! The old elf pulled her close again and she lightly slapped his hand. Frustrated he spat, "Do you want the information or no?" He paused and calmed somewhat. "A man hired me to give their friend a letter. He payed me well so I've been very careful. Very careful. But you have to answer the questions right or I can't give it to you."

At this point the old elf barely cared who got the letter he just wanted it gone. His job was the lure the friend with talk about a farmer's help against the blight. He spread the rumor willingly, but several farmers had come to him looking for help and he had to play dumb. Two particularly thick farmers beat him up after they learned he couldn't help them. That was painful. One even offered him a job! As if he would work on an Anders farm, dust and toil, he'd be dead in a month from the heat alone. He wasn't that stupid.

"So it was a trap? For me?" Gisele could not think of anyone who would wish her ill. No one who knew her well enough to devise this trap, anyways. She had nothing anyone would want. Unless this was a trap set by the templars? But they would have already grabbed her and how would the templars even know about her? She had never even been to Hossberg before.

 She decided to trust the elf because she couldn't convince herself not to. "My name is Gisele. My friend Gaius taught me to use my magic." At that the old elf quickly slapped a letter sized leather pouch into her hands. The pouch was a rich mahogany leather, beautifully embroidered along the edges with images of flowers and small birds. Gisele paused mesmerized by the beautiful object in her hands. "This... is for me? Who gave this to you?" Gisele asked in wonder.

From the tone of the woman's voice the old elf could tell the pouch was beautiful, probably expensive and he immediately regretted not selling it himself. "A man. I don't know who," he said angrily. "Now get out of here before you get me into trouble. I've had enough trouble on account of you and not nearly enough coin!" He hobbled away and returned to his spot near the potion vendors thankful that things were about to get back to normal.

***

Gisele looked for a place to privately open the pouch she'd been given by the Knife-ear beggar. After walking along the narrow meandering streets that lead out of the square, she found a slab bench under a crepe myrtle. Sitting down Gisele gave a quick prayer to the maker and thought of the chant,

"Mighty of arm and warmest of heart, Rendered to dust. Bitter is sorrow, Ate raw and often, poison that weakens and does not kill."

Andraste had also needed help for her people. The thought comforted her as she untied the pouch and took out its contents. Inside she found a letter, a map, and an old piece of parchment with writing she could not understand. Gisele did not recognize the location on the map either. Smoothing out the letter on her lap she read it carefully as the light breeze cooled her in the tree's shade.

"Dear Gisele,

If this letter has found its way to you, then you are still doing the Maker's work. Your family told me of your quest, your dream, and I pray for you daily. I hope my lessons have proved useful all these years even though they were cut short. One day, Maker willing, we will be able to share with each other what fate had in store for each of us these 20 years. At the moment, however, I need your help. I have been caught again by the templars. I fear I won't have the opportunity to escape again, not for a long time, otherwise I would not ask this of you. I need you to find an artifact for me because I believe it will be helpful in fighting the darkspawn. There are whispers of a Blight and I fear that without your help it will be too late.

The map I've included with this letter is of an area in the eastern Hunterhorn Mountains. There is a temple in the mountains which holds the artifact but to access it you must find someone to translate the document I've enclosed. Do not go alone! There may be darkspawn or worse since the temple has likely been empty for ages and the veil is often thin in these places.

If you go to Weisshaupt Fortress, the warden stronghold, they may be able to assist you as the artifact is related to the Blight and will help their mission. If you wish to simply hand it over to them for their use you would not be in error. They are the experts in this matter and once the artifact is in their hands you would have no further obligation.

Thank you, Gisele. You were always an excellent pupil, thoughtful and contentious. I hope we meet again in brighter times.

Maker bless you,

Gaius"

"Gaius!" she thought. She never knew what had become of her old teacher. He was the only reason she was able to control her magic at all and survive her travels in the desert. Gisele was grateful he was still alive and her sense of obligation towards him was still strong. He was correct in assuming that she would take up this quest for him, though she had no idea what it would entail. She had little knowledge of temples or artifacts, she wasn't that kind of mage. She decided she would head to Weisshaupt once she had the opportunity.


	2. Chapter 2

It was barely after noon when Sares walked through the city gates of Hossberg. His mood was not the best after being forced to take this part of his journey through the Anderfels by foot instead of using his shapeshifting magic to fly. He really should have waited a day or two more before starting in Minrathous, but Arlain had not stopped pestering until he was on his way. As if none of their younger colleagues could've joined him, or at least given him some of their lyrium potion supply.

Dusting off his long traveling mantle, he made his way through the city, towards a town square full of people. Vendors were busy promoting their goods, while most of the customers were huddled together in small groups, speaking in hushed voices of rumors about darkspawn rising. Sares stayed silent as he made his way through the crowd, gently pushing people out of his way.

He had seen a few darkspawn while traveling, but made sure to stay far above them, not wanting to get into a fight when he was already low on potions. And though he was no scholar of history and the Anderfels had always been infested with them, their behaviour and movements left him with a feeling of unease. It took a while, but finally he reached the edge of the crowd and entered a smaller pathway away from the market. Well, there was no use getting nervous now. He had to get to Weisshaupt, and before that visit the local Circle here in Hossberg, to restock his potions as well as deliver a letter from the Orlasian Ambassador, who had been far too delighted to know that he could push that duty onto Sares instead of relying on his usual traveling groups.

So, while he would try to get back to traveling as soon as he could, he also needed to take at least some kind of rest and, since the Anderfels was a rather unappealing area in general, the Circle here seemed like the best opportunity to do so. Well, if he could find out where the city the Circle was located, that is.

With a sigh, Sares let himself drop on the edge of a stone bench next to a tall woman and began to search his belt pouch for his last lyrium potion. Not looking up, he started to speak in a calm, soft voice. "Please excuse my boldness, but do you by any chance know the location of the local Circle of Magi? I'm afraid I might be a bit lost and would appreciate some help greatly."

Gisele was so distracted by her thoughts and her impending quest that she hardly noticed the mage approach her. She tried to hide her surprise as he sat down next to her on the bench and quickly hid away the letter and pouch in her pockets. As he spoke she looked up at him and pushed back her headscarf.

He was slightly taller than her, handsome, and had an air of educated, controlled refinement. There was something wild about him as well, but she was unable to place it. Here was a mage who would know something of artifacts and translations.

Perhaps he could help her as well? “Goodness the Maker works quickly”, she thought. “I can take you to the Circle, Sir,” Gisele had passed by it on her way from the chantry to the square, it was relatively close by. “However, are you sure you want to go to the Circle?” She looked around them. No one else was present. “You don't appear to have a templar guard,” she said quietly.

Opening the small bottle in his hands, Sares felt a relaxed smile appear on his face and, with a small chuckle, he turned to face the woman. "That is the first good thing I heard today, thank you very much in advance. And yes, I am quite sure, the times when I had templars being forced to accompany me are long over. As flawed as the Circle system might be, with enough patience and fortitude one can earn a reasonable amount of freedom."

Still smiling, Sares drained the flask with a quick motion and immediately noticed the lyrium’s effect, numbing his fatigue and easing the headache that had been building up over the last few hours. Standing up, he stored the bottle in the satchel around his hip and offered a quick, formal bow. "My name is Sares, Senior Enchanter of the Circle of Magi in Cumberland and currently on a task here in the Anderfels. Pleased to meet you."

His eyes scanned the woman sitting before him, taking in the worn, mostly earth-colored clothing, the tanned skin and dark hair, before stopping shortly at what seemed to be a blade wrapped in cloth. "I would surely owe you a favor if you would be so kind and help me to get to my destination."

Watching as the mage downed a small blue bottle, Gisele winced slightly. She did not think the Maker would approve of the way lyrium was used so freely in the Circle. Now visibly relieved, the mage introduced himself formally. Gisele felt herself relax. As anxious as she was to approach the Circle, perhaps she would trust this man as he seemed to desire little beyond directions.

Gisele's face softened into a gentle smile, "I am Gisele, daughter of the Anderfels. It is my pleasure." She stood and offered a slow, shallow bow. "I am happy to learn you enjoy so much freedom," she said gesturing subtly to his potion satchel. "Come," she waved him to follow, "I will walk with you there." She paused and turned back to face him, "Are you ready or do you wish to rest longer? It should only take us a quarter of the hour."

"Magic, just like everything else, is a gift from the Maker, and while some people tend to forget or ignore that, we should not hide our gifts from the world. Not every mage traveling around Thedas without oversight turns into a Maleficar and the Templars would be wise to not forget that. But I should stop, I doubt you are interested in circle politics. So, in any case, I am pleased to meet you." Sares straightened some more, feeling a lot better now with the lyrium circling through his body.

Well, best not to spend too much sitting around, as Hossberg was neither pretty nor interesting to him personally. "So, if you have the time now, I would prefer to get to the Circle as fast as possible. I doubt I'll be able to stay there for long, as my journey will go on for some more time after and, with all due respect to your homeland, I hope my visit here won't last for too long. I don't know how long I will be able to rest, but I doubt it will be more than a few hours."

With another dry smile he gestured towards the end of the pathway they were in, unconsciously dusting his coat off again.

Happy that her company preferred to act rather than wait around, Gisele matched her pace with Sares, walking slightly ahead as she lead the way. The streets were narrow to keep them in shade and the gentle breezes of the season prevented them from sweating too profusely.

"Magic exists to serve man, and never to rule over him. Foul and corrupt are they Who have taken His gift and turned it against His children." Gisele smiled at her companion. "They always forget to complete the verse, where magic is named a gift from the Maker. It is the turning against others that is the sin, and more easily done with a knife," she said remembering the dagger at her belt.

"It is always interesting to hear about the Circle. I have never been inside one," Gisele slowed her pace to face Sares, "You will not be staying at the Circle? I don't wish to pry, but where are you traveling? I will soon be traveling again myself."

He followed the woman, looking around the streets and surrounding area. "Indeed, and as such it is the duty of us Circle mages to remind people of this by being a good example." Sares chuckled, but there was almost no humor in it. At her next question, he turned serious, his eyes purposely avoiding Gisele.

"I will have some more traveling to do, though I cannot say for sure where to next. It will depend on my consultation here in the Circle, and while I certainly have an idea of where I will have to go next, I prefer to avoid trying to foretell the future. A certain level of surprise should always be welcome in life, after all." He smiled again and narrowed his eyes while looked up into the bright light of the sky above them.

" 'For there is no darkness in the Maker's Light

And nothing that He has wrought shall be lost.'

So, wherever I end up traveling next to, I'm sure it'll be a worthwhile experience."

They reached the end of the pathway and turned to the right, entering another smaller road not far from the main road he had seen earlier. "Now, as for seeing a circle from the inside, I'm sure we could arrange something, if that is what you wish for. Of course, I would not recommend staying there, but if you're curious, I think we might be able to satisfy that."

"You do not sound very convinced," Gisele laughed for the first time that day. "The Anderfels are not for everyone, some say they are not for ANY one but there is beauty here. I hope you find some beauty here for yourself." She adjusted her pack as they walked and searched through it until she felt the smooth coolness of glass.

"Here," Gisele handed over one of the healing potions she had made that morning, "the ingredients here do not grow as you are used to elsewhere in Thedas. The Blight takes more than you can imagine, but this is special." With a light squeeze, she clasped his hand in hers as she placed the small cylindrical bottle in the center of his palm.

Gently pulling away she admired the vivid green of its contents. "This may be the only living green you see all day." Her smile dropped, and her eyes lost their focus as she turned away from the mage and resumed her walking. Raising her headscarf, she picked up the pace and gestured to the left. "I cannot enter the Circle. Thank you for your kind offer."

His fingers now closed around the small flask, Sares stood still for a moment, watching the back of the woman in front of him. Such a seemingly gentle person, entrusting such a special rare and valuable item to him, someone she had only met a short time ago. And yet she seemed to be traveling on her own, used to the hardships and challenges of this country.

 His eyes were drawn to the veiled blade on her back again, just for a moment, before he resumed walking. Gisele was a mystery to him and it was clear that there were things she was hiding, but then he couldn't blame her. Too much trust in the wrong people carried a chance for disaster with it, a lesson many learned at some point in their lives. But the way she reacted to his offer seemed almost sad, though it seemed more likely that it was fear.

The fear of magic, perhaps. Sares once again realized how different his life was compared to those not familiar with the Circles. "And again, I have to thank you for your generosity, it would seem my debt to you continues to grow the more time we spent here. I hope I will be able to repay some of it."

Gisele paused then continued her walk at a slower pace, not expecting the grateful tone in his voice. "There may be something you can help me with, but do not feel obligated. There should be no strings attached to giving, I give freely."

Fumbling with her pack again, she produced the fine leather pouch she received earlier handling it with utmost delicacy. "I am not so educated as you. I read the common tongue well enough but, languages and artifacts are foreign to me." Opening the pouch, she carefully slid out the parchment that she could not read. Gisele paused for a second before showing Sares the document, “I cannot see the path. Perhaps there is only abyss. Trembling, I step forward. "He was sent to me by the Maker," she thought, assuring herself. "I am supposed to use this, but I cannot read it. Do you know what language this is? Can you read it?"

Sares looked at the leather pouch in her arms, then concentrated on the text on the paper Gisele was holding out for him. It seemed familiar, old, but he recognized the style almost immediately. "That's...that's ancient Tevene. How did you get that? These texts are extremely rare outside of the Imperium!"

A sense of wonder filled him, and he stood still, thoughts racing through his mind. "I'm not an expert on languages or history, but most Circle mages that focus on lesser known forms of magic get taught at some basic knowledge about it. I've not had to read ancient Tevene in years, so I don't think I can translate the whole document, but we might be able to find someone in the Circle here to help." While speaking, Sares hadn't even noticed himself saying 'us' and only just now stopped himself to look at Gisele expectedly.

"Ancient Tevene..." she wondered. The revelation makes her slightly uncomfortable as did anything associated with Magisters. The Seven fell from the Wellspring of Creation, No longer creatures of the Maker's Light. It wasn't the whole of Tevinter that sinned against the Maker, she had to remind herself.

Full of obvious excitement, the mage appeared quickly invested in solving this mystery. "I received it from a friend, along with a task that I must complete. There is an artifact that will help us against the blight and I must retrieve it. I have a map as well to guide us to the temple,"

Gisele stopped to observe Sares, seeing the earnest interest. "Do you think it is wise to bring this into the Circle? Will they confiscate it from you? I cannot enter because... I will never leave, and then I cannot..." She thought of all that she wished to accomplish, this task for her friend, and recovering the land from the blight. Entering the Circle was too much of a risk. "I hoped to travel to Weisshaupt and see if someone there could help me. What do you advise?"

Sares fell silent, looking at Gisele, her words racing through his head. Again, the way she said she could not enter the Circle...could not leave. A suspicion began to rise, connecting her earlier statements and behaviour.

This, right here, was dangerous. Gisele was a mage. Or she was covering for a mage, most likely her friend. Either way, the obvious choice was to get her to the Circle tower and tell the templars there to let them deal with the problem. But the look on her face made him consider his options, again and again. She obviously believed what she just said. That this artifact could help with the Blight. That it was important. And that it was her duty to carry out this mission. Which meant it was unlikely she would just accompany him to the templars. Or that they would let her stay alive.

Sares stood still, his eyes fixed on her face, the excitement he had felt just moments ago replaced by wariness. When he spoke, his voice was still calm, but a colder and more quiet tone had set in.

"You may have revealed more to me just now than you wanted. I will ask you this only once, and if you lie to me I will promise you this: You will have to fight me for every step away from this city and it will raise enough attention that every templar in the surrounding area will be following you.

Are you an apostate or one of the maleficarum?"

A coldness fell over Gisele as he asked his question. After all these years of avoiding places like Hossberg, the isolation and danger, is this how it ends? Pushing away the panic and frustration to reach a calm center, a skill Gaius taught her as a child, she found her words. "I believed the Maker had sent you to help. I needed to tell you I am a mage, but I am no maleficarum." Just in saying the word filled her body with revulsion. "I have served the Maker all my life." She looked down, "Though all others may forget You, your name is etched into my every step. I will not forsake You, even if I forget myself." The Chant soothed her mind and prepared her for whatever lay ahead.

She looked coolly back up at Sares, "I don't wish to harm anyone. If you would force me into the Circle, then I would go willingly. I only ask that you bring these documents to the Wardens at Weisshaupt. You would owe me that for preventing me from doing the Maker's work." Gisele tucked the documents away, back into the pouch and held them out to him.

He stood there, still, looking a Gisele. She seemed sincere, but it would be foolish to just trust her. She was an apostate and it was his duty to bring her to the Circle. Yet he hesitated. It was hard for those brought into the Circles above a certain age. Children without too many bonds or memories of the outside world. It would be cruel to force her to enter this world. There was no easy way out here. He had to make a choice.

But the disgust she showed on her face when he mentioned maleficarum was genuine, so much seemed obvious. Maybe, just maybe, he could find a way to solve this without endangering anyone. Sares closed his eyes and, hoping for the right reaction, began to speak softly.

"I cannot see the path. Perhaps there is only abyss. Trembling, I step forward, In darkness enveloped.”

He took the pouch and turned, his eyes focused on the path ahead. "We should get to the Circle. When we arrive there, follow my lead and do not engage anyone in conversation, except if you're being talked to first. You will act as my guide through the Anderfels and, should you prove yourself during that journey, I will try and aid you on your mission. Do not make me regret this decision, Gisele."

One of his favorite verses of the Chant came to his mind and Sares hoped that it would prove to be true.

“I am not alone. Even

As I stumble on the path

With my eyes closed, yet I see

The Light is here.”

She could not blame him. His whole life he was taught to be afraid of mages like her and see only the danger of her situation, where she saw opportunity and hope. He did not wish to harm her, that was plain.

Hearing the words of the chant she had so recently recalled was a light that she needed. She continued, "Though all before me is shadow, Yet shall the Maker be my guide. I shall not be left to wander the drifting roads of the Beyond. For there is no darkness in the Maker's Light, and nothing that He has wrought shall be lost."

Taking a large breath, she nodded her head, "I will do this. I will not disappoint, I would gladly be your Anders guide." Going along with him would not be difficult. She was used to keeping to herself, and she was much more knowledgeable about the land. Under less strained circumstances she could have been his guide.

They continued on, walking faster now until the Circle was within sight. "The building ahead is the Circle," she gestured to a towered building with ornate, colorful windows and heavy stone doors. Taking another deep breath, she prepared herself for whatever lie ahead.

Sares nodded, his eyes taking in the building in front of him. He could feel the tension from his companion and her trying to stay calm. It was early afternoon now and he wondered how long it would take to get everything he needed from the Circle, as it seemed best to get back to traveling as fast as possible. He was confident that, as things were right now, Gisele would not pose a threat to him for the time being. He straightened and walked forward, a calm and confident expression on his face. It would be alright as long as Gisele followed his lead and let him to most of the talking.

Inside the Circle building, the air was colder, and an aura of busy activity was showing. Sares could hear distant talking and the familiar rattling of templar armor being worn on stone floors. It was more open and illuminated than other Circles he had visited, and an almost nostalgic excitement made him feel almost at home. Ignoring the mages and guards around him, he went straight to the templar at the end of the hallway, his eyes fixed on the emblem of a Knight-Lieutenant on the man’s chest.

His hand reached inside his coat and pulled out the letter he was asked to deliver here, carefully placing his fingers so the symbol of the Orlaisian ambassador was clearly visible. "Greetings, Knight-Lieutenant. My name is Sares, Senior Enchanter of the Circle of Magi of Cumberland and more recently representative of said Circle on Minrathous. I was sent here to deliver this message to the First Enchanter and would appreciate your assistance in this matter."

He stopped, then half turned, cutting off any response from the man. "This here is Gisele, my guide through the Anderfels. Please make sure she is comfortable while I'm away consulting the First Enchanter. Depending on the result of my conversation, we may need to continue our travels rather soon, so give her some food and let her rest for a while, she has been a great help so far and deserves a moment of rest."

The templar eyed his, his face showing astonishment by the way Sares talked to him, obviously trying his hardest to keep up with all the information that had just been dumped on him. He cleared his throat and began to talk, his voice still coarse. "Yes, well, do you have any proof or way to identify yourself? You understand, we can't just let anyone get to the First Enchanter without making sure it's safe. Else someone could..."

That was when Sares cut him off again, sounding impatient now. "Yes yes, of course. Just take a look at the letter here and then get going. As I said, I am rather busy and would prefer not to stay in your foyer for the rest of the day." He handed over the letter and watched the templar read it, then turned to Gisele and gave her an apologetic smile. "Bureaucracy, the bane of every larger organization."

It took another 10 minutes of talking to the Knight-Lieutenant before he was led through the building towards the First Enchanters office. His guide stayed behind after he was promised that his requests would be fulfilled and, while still concerned about her, Sares concentrated on the task ahead, positive that Gisele could handle herself for a short amount of time.

"Watch and listen", she told herself, "watch and listen." While she feared the Circle her whole life, she could not allow that feeling take over her mind. Just watch and listen. Walking over to the templar and asserting himself, Sares was confident and commanding. The amount of inner strength to maintain such self assurance in the face of persecution, even now after obtaining so much authority, must be great indeed. Gisele could not help but admire him.

The templars barely looked at her, focusing so much on Sares, and when he left to consult with the First Enchanter they hardly knew what to do with her.

"Umm... follow me," the Knight-Lieutenant ushered her through a door into a large common area she assumed was for events or meetings. There they met with a younger templar who looked barely eighteen, "Please find a place for this woman, give her some food and allow her to rest." The younger templar nodded and gestured for her to follow.

The large room lead to an outdoor space through tall, narrow wooden doors. There they found a garden, with benches here and there, all observable from the doors themselves. The garden was enclosed with walls at least 15 feet high with rather dangerous looking spikes decorating the tops of them. Well guarded, this area had more templars present than any other, two at the doors and three patrolling the garden itself. Still, there were mages at work tending to plants, reading, or simply chatting with other mages. They appeared to be able to ignore their jailers well enough.

"You may sit and walk the garden at your leisure, but please do not bother the mages," the younger templar said, then walked away leaving Gisele on her own. She found a spot among groups of cut flowers and herbs for potions and meditated on the Chant until someone brought her a small meal.

Before she could finish her food, a young red headed child came up to her nervously. He quickly looked back to the closest templar, who did not appear to care about what he was doing, "Excuse me, mam, is your name Gisele?"

"Yes, it is."

"This is for you," the child dropped a folded piece of parchment, "please pick it up after I leave." Again, he looked around nervously, and walked back towards the building. Once he was inside and out of sight Gisele picked up the paper, pretending to adjust her shoe, and tucked it into the top of her boot. After finishing her plate, the took a walk and went to adjust her boots again in a more secluded part of the garden. Pulling out the note she read quickly.

"Gisele,

Please leave now. Go to the Wardens and do not return. I do not need your help.

-G"

"Do you need help, miss?" asked a templar from behind her. She quickly hid the note back into her boot and did one final adjustment to her laces.

"No, no, ser. It is just these boots. Spilled some water on them and they haven't fit the same since," Gisele smiled reassuringly and caught him looking her over. With one fluent motion she pulled off her head scarf, letting a sheet of dark glossy hair spill out along her shoulder, and smiled at him again. "Has my charge returned? We will need to leave soon to keep our schedule."

 "No, miss, not that I know." He returned her smile. "Walk with me, I would like to hear about your travels. There is not much news here in the Circle." She had to oblige, so she walked and talked with him through the garden.

***

It took him almost 2 hours to get everything he needed from the First Enchanter. The man seemed still seemed to be puzzled by the information the letter had contained and was only half-paying attention to Sares. Carriers were sent down the street to the local Formari shop to bring him the potions they would surely need for the journey, even if it seemed that he had to travel by foot or horse.

With the darkspawn rising all around them, he much preferred to be over prepared instead of not at all. So, he sat there, having a meal while answering questions about what he had seen on his journey here as well as in Minrathous. And while the First Enchanter had heard of the alliance between the Wardens and the Tevinter Legion, he could not offer much new information about what to expect in Weisshaupt. All of this, including the worry about Gisele and her motives, made Sares react blunter and more hurried in his demeanor and comments, but then he doubted it would really make a difference.

At the end, when he got up from his chair to collect the items requested, he gave one last polite bow to the old man in front of him and left the room, going back the narrow corridors, his potion pouch considerably heavier now and the old backpack he rarely used now filled with rations, water and a bottle of decent wine. While walking, he could almost feel the templar staring at him, obviously not happy with the thought of a foreign mage traveling through his homeland unsupervised. Sares had to suppress a worried smirk, remembering that it would actually be two mages traveling and, if he would have misjudged the situation, he might bring a lot more trouble to Weisshaupt than anticipated.

Back at the entrance area, he looked around but could not find Gisele anywhere. He shot a questioning look at the Knight-Lieutenant who, upon recognizing him, waved him closer and pointed at one of the doors at the wall behind him. There, another templar took over and led Sares to an open garden area, filled with green herbs and enclosed by tall dark walls.

To his confusion, he saw Gisele there, walking and chatting with a young templar. Stepping closer, he cleared his throat to make them aware of his arrival. "Ah, Gisele. I'm afraid it is already time for us to continue our journey, I have finished everything I was here for." His tone got a bit more distant as he addressed the templar next to her. "Thank you so much for taking care of her, may the Maker's Light guide you.*"

With another small bow to the Knight-Lieutenant inside the building, they started to move out again, making their way through the city. Both were rather silent for the next hour or so, though it was not uncomfortable and, by the end of the day, had made it a good distance away from the city.


End file.
